Welcome to the first official episode of the Music and Booze Power Hour Variety Show! Each episode we explore the universal connection we believe exists between music ... and booze. Along the way we're going to meet some new drinking buddies, jam to some awesome tunes, all while enjoying tasty beverages. Music. Booze. Friends. What else does one need?

In this episode we take a trip to Berkeley, California, and visit with the great guys behind the Mead Kitchen. As we taste some fabulous concoctions, Dan Cook, founder, tells us how happenstance had a very important part in his enterprise and has guided him along in his brewing decisions. After several "tastings," we end up pairing their signature drink with a great song by the Japanese trio, Shonen Knife. The song is part of what I think is the greatest compilation album of all time, and share some tracks off of it to prove my point. We next take a trip back in time to New Jersey in the early 1990s and talk about the songs that were sampled in a very influential hip hop song by Naughty by Nature. To fully experience this episode, we recommend a full glass of your favorite concotion, a comfy recliner or couch, and headphones that go up to 11.